Switch



May 13, 1941. w. H. FRANK ET AL 2,241,905,

SWITCH Filed June 13, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

May 13, 1941. W FRANK ETAL 2,241,905

SWITCH Filed June 13, 1938 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

May 13, 1941- w. H. FRANK ET AL 2,241,905

SWITCH Filed June 13, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS z GM'K/ ATTORNEY.

Patented May 13, 1941 UNHTED STATES PATENT GEFIQE SWITCH William H. Frank and Lawrence E. Fisher, Detroit, Mich.

6 Claims.

This application relates to switches.

Details and features of the switch here shown constitute important objects of the invention hereof and will best be understood upon reference to the appended drawings. In these drawings- Fig. 1 shows a switch, in top plan view, and in position on a fragment of bus duct;

Fig. 2 shows the same in side view;

Fig. 3 shows the same in end View;

Figs. 4 and 7 are. fragmentary views showing parts in the on position, with cover closed;

Figs. 5 and 8 are similar views showing the parts in the ofi position, with cover closed;

Fig. 6 is a detail as if in section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary View, with some of the parts in on position, and others in off position, and with the cover open.

The switch herein illustrated comprises an open bottom and top sheet metal box II] having extended sides II embracing a sheet metal duct I2, the sides having flanges secured to duct flanges by means of bolts I4. Within the duct are naked bus bars I5 adapted to be engaged by contacts I6 disposed within insulating tubes I'I secured to an insulation block I8 forming part of. the switch and enclosed within the box I0, the block I8 extending from side to side of the box and being supported on such sides and having thereon fuse clips (not shown) receiving terminals of fuses within the box and extending lengthwise thereof, the other ends of these fuses being received within fuse clips mounted on an insulation block I9 supported in the block from the sides thereof and having thereon terminal binding means connected to the fuse clips and adapted to bind and connect terminals of branch circuit conductors 20 entering the box through openings 2|.

Mounted on the block I8 are prongs 22 arranged in pairs. Of each pair of prongs 22, one is connected to a contact I6 and the other to an adjacent fuse clip. Bridging the prongs of. a pair establishes a circuit from the contact I6 to the fuse clips and through the fuse to a branch circuit conductor.

For bridging pairs of prongs 22 there are provided switching heads 23 containing bridging contacts. Within these switching heads are included bridging contacts 30a adapted to establish the circuit between the prongs 22. Secured to the switching heads 23 are brackets 24 partially surrounding an operating rod 25 extending transversely of the box and having its ends disposed in U-shaped guides 26 secured to the side walls of vthe box. The guides extend vertically along the sides of the box and guide the rod 25 in its vertical movement in the box. For preventing disassociation of the rod from the guides there are provided screws 2l threaded into flanges of the guides above the rod. Removal of these screws permits removal of the operating rod and the heads secured thereto, as a unit.

For causing and controlling movement of the heads, through movement of the rod 25, there is provided an actuating and controlling mechanism. The latter includes a cover 30 hingedly connected to the box at 3l and having a handle 32 and a latch 33. The cover functions not only as an actuator for the heads, but also as a cover for the box. Immovably secured to the coveIl and depending therefrom is a bracket 36 having a cam surface 31-38-39. Slidably mounted on the under surface of the cover is a hook shaped element #lli movable towards and away from the bracket 36 and having a cam surface tI- 42. The element 40 is formed with a handle 43 and with on and off markings visible through an opening 44 in the cover, to align therewith and indicate' the position of element i0 and thus the condition of the switch.

'Ihe operation and function of the parts are substantially as follows:

Starting with the switch closed and the door closed, Figs. 4 and 7, the operating rod 25 is found within a slot 45 between cam surfaces 38 and 42, and element Ill is remote from bracket 3G. When the cover is pulled open slightly and at the very start of movement of. the' cover from the closed position, Figs. 4 and 7, to the open position, Fig. 9, cam surface 38 pulls up on the rod 25 and moves the switching heads to switch open position. All this takes place at the very start of the movement of the cover out of its closed position and long before the cover is open sumciently to permit access to the interior of the box. Continued movement of the cover towards its open position causes the cam surfaces 3l to pick up the rod 25 and thus hold the rod and the switching heads in the switch open position. At the end of cover opening movement, cam notch 39 picks up the' rod 25 and the latter functions as a means for preventing further opening movement of the cover; the weight of the cover helps hold the heads 23 in off position.

If the cover `be returned to its closed position with the parts left in the condition they were in formerly, namely that of Figs. 4 and 7, return movement of the cover will accomplish nothing, so far as moving the rod 25 is concerned, until the very end of such return movement, at which .v time slot 45 will pick up rod 25 and force the latter downwardly to the closed circuit position.

` Thus circuit closing is accomplished only after the cover has been practically completely closed. On the other hand, if it is desired to close the cover without closing the switch, then element 4U is moved manually towards bracket 36, namely from the position of Figs. 4 and '7, to that of Figs. 5 and 8, to -eliminate the slot 45 and cause cam surfaces 4| and ,3l to align. After this is done,

l return movement of the cover will not tend to move the rod 25 but during the entire return Figs. 5 and 8 or switch open condition.

It will be observed that the operator may elect, when the cover is open, whether cover closing is l movement of the cover, the cam 31-4l will continue to hold the rod elevated in the position ofI to close the switch or to leave the switch open;

that opening of the cover automatically opens the switch, regardless of any desire to the contrary on the part of the operator; that the switch l is open at all times that the cover is sufficiently open to permit accessinto the box; that switch opening takes place at the very start of cover opening; that switch closing if it doestake place, takes place only after the cover has practically completely closed the box; and that at no time is it possible to obtain access into the interior of the box when the switch is closed.

` manipulation may take place only when the cover is open.

We claim:

1. A switch comprising an open top box, closely adjacent parallel stationary prongs within the box, one adapted to be connected to a supply line and the other to a branch conductor, an insulation head movable on and so arranged as to iclosely surround the free ends of the prongs at all times, a bridging contact within the head which bridges the prongs when the head is moved farthest -away from the open top of the box and which clears the prongs when the head is moved nearest the open top of the box, a hinged cover for the open top of the box, and cams on the lower surface of the cover for engaging the head and causing it to move along the prongs whereby cover movement will cause movement of the head towards or away from the open top of the box, the head remaining in the box and on the prongs in all its movements and being separate from, 4though operably connected to, the cover and its cams.

2'. A switch comprising an open top box, closely adjacent parallel stationary prongs within the l box, one adapted to be connected to a supply line l and the other to a branch conductor, an insulation head movable `on and so arranged as to closefor the open top of the box, and cams on the l lower surface of the cover for engaging the head and causing it to move along the prongs whereby cover movement will cause movement of the head towards or away from the open top of the box,

the head remaining in the box and on the prongs in all itsl movements and being separate from, though operably connected to, the cover and its cams, the cams being so arranged that only the initial part of the movement of the cover out of its closing position lcauses movement of the head towards the open top of the box, the latter part of such movement of the cover being free of movement of the head.

3. A switch comprising an open top box, closely adjacent parallel stationary prongs within the box, one adapted to be connected to a supply line and the other to a branch conductor, an insulation head movable on and so arranged as to closely surround the free ends of the prongs at all times, a bridging contact within the head which Vbridges the prongs when the head is moved farthest away from the open top of the box and which clears the prongs when the head is moved nearest the open top of the box, a hinged cover for the open top of the box, and cams on the lower surface of the cover for engaging the head and causing it to move along the prongs whereby cover movement will cause movement of the head towards or away from the open top of the box, the head remaining in the box and on the prongs in all its movements and .being separate from, though operably connected to, the cover and its cams, the cams being so larranged that only the initial part of the movement of the cover out of its closing position causes movement of the head towards the open top of the box, the latter part of such movement of the cover being free of movement of the head, the cam which operates to move the head away from the open top of the box being adjustable to two positions, in one of which it causes movement of the head away from the open top of the box, upon movement of the cover into its closing position, and in the other of which it does not ycause movement of the head away from the open top of the box, upon movementof the cover into its closing position.

4. A switch comprising an open top box, a stationary contact within and mounted on the base of the box, a movable contact mounted on and carried by the stationary contact and arranged for rectilinear movement to and from the base, being guided in its movement by the stationary contact, a hinged cover for the open top of the box, and cams on the lower surface of the cover for engaging the movable ycontact and causing it to move along the stationary lcontact whereby cover movement will cause rectilinear movement of the movable contact to and from the base, guided by the stationary contact, the movable contact remaining in the box and in association with the stationary contact at all times and in all its movements and being separate from, though operably connected to, the cover and its cams.

5. A switch comprising an open top box, a stationary contact within and mounted on the base of the box, a movable contact mounted on and carried by the stationary contact and arranged for rectilinear movement to and from the base, beingguided in its movement by the stationary contact, a hinged cover for the open top of the box, cams on the lower surface of the cover for engaging the movable contact land causingy it to move along the stationary .contact whereby cover movement will cause rectilinear movement citi-'ie movable 4contact Ato and from the base, guided by the stationary contact, the movable contact remaining in the box and-in association with the stationary contact at all times and in all its movements and being separate from, though operably connected to, the cover and its cams,

the cam which operates to move thev movable Contact towards the base being adjustable to two positions, in one of which it lcauses movement of the movable contact towards the base upon closing movement of the cover, and in the other of which it does not cause movement of the movable Contact towards the base upon closing movement of the cover.

6. A switch comprising an open top box, a stationary contact within and mounted on the base of the box, a movable contact mounted on and carried by the stationary contact and arranged for rectilinear movement to and from the base, being guided in its movement by the stationary contact, a hinged cover for the open top of the box, and cams on the lower surface of the cover for engaging the movable contact and `causing it to move along the stationary contact whereby cover movement will cause rectilinear movement of the movable contact to and from the base,

guided by the stationary contact, the movable contact remaining in the box and in association with the stationary contact at all times and in all its movements and being separate from, though operably connected to, the cover and its cams, the cam which operates to move the movable contact towards the base being adjustable to two positions, in one of which it causes movement of the movable contact towards the base upon closing movement of the cover, and in the other of which it does not cause movement of the movable contact towards the base upon closing movement of the cover, the cams being so arranged that only the initial part of the movement of the cover out of its closing position causes movement of the movable Contact away from the base, the latter part of such movement of the cover being free of movement of the movable contact.

WILLIAM H. FRANK. LAWRENCE E. FISHER. 

